Category: 2. World

Donald Trump has announced the US will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India plus an extra “penalty” for the country buying arms and energy from Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

Washington has set a 1 August deadline for countries around the world to reach agreements on trade, including India, amid the US president’s sweeping global tariff war.

While saying that Delhi was a “friend,” Trump used his Truth Social platform to criticise India’s trade policies and said the White House would impose a 25% tariff “plus a penalty” of an unspecified amount.

He said the US had a “massive” trade deficit with India – when imported goods outstrip exports – and linked its “vast” purchases of military equipment and energy from Russia to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Criticising Indian tariffs applied to US imports as “far too high”, he also accused Narendra Modi’s government of applying non-monetary barriers to trade that were among the most “strenuous and obnoxious” in the world.

Trump wrote: “They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!

“INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!”

Figures compiled by Washington show the US trade in goods with India were an estimated $129.2bn (£97bn) in 2024, making it the US’s 10th largest trading partner. The US goods trade deficit was worth $45.7bn.

Shortly after announcing the tariffs on New Delhi, Trump said he had struck a deal with India’s neighbour and rival Pakistan to jointly develop its oil reserves.

“Who knows, maybe they’ll be selling oil to India some day!” he posted on Truth Social.

Trump’s criticism of India comes as he ramps up pressure on Moscow amid growing frustration with Putin’s war in Ukraine. Trump had claimed before his inauguration in January that he would be able to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office.

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Dozens of large countries around the world remain locked in negotiations with Washington with only days to go before Trump’s deadline of 1 August to reach agreements on trade. The White House has threatened to unilaterally apply higher tariffs if deals cannot be reached.

Washington and Brussels reached a deal on Sunday to limit an increase in US tariffs on most EU goods to 15%, after Trump had threatened to apply a border charge of 30%. Deals have also been reached with Japan, Vietnam and the UK, while an agreement in principle has been reached to extend talks with China.

Global investors have been monitoring closely amid hopes that damage to the world economy can be avoided after Trump’s 2 April “liberation day” plan sent shock waves through international markets.

James Chater/BBC News

Markets and mulled wine

Garry Crockett

Deep Hill Media

Joshua Robb

James Chater/BBC

Christmas in July Festival

Canada has joined France and Britain in announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September as international pressure builds on Israel over the ongoing starvation crisis and war in Gaza.

The move leaves the United States increasingly isolated from some of its closest allies on the issue of Israel and how it has conducted its military campaign.

US President Donald Trump blasted Canada’s decision, threatening to derail ongoing trade talks with Ottawa.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement on Wednesday and said that Canada has “long been committed to a two-state solution” that would see an independent Palestinian state “living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security.”

The move follows similar announcements by France, which has said it will recognize a Palestinian state in September, and the UK, which has said that it will too if Israel does not meet conditions that include agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Canada intends to recognize the state of Palestine at the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations,” Carney told reporters, flanked by Foreign Minister Anita Anand. “We intend to do so because the Palestinian Authority has committed to lead much needed reform.”

Trump, on Thursday, hinted at blowing up trade talks with Canada over its plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.

“Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!!” he wrote on Truth Social.

His comments come at an intense stage of Canada-US trade negotiations, with a 35 per cent tariff hike threatening to kick in on some Canadian goods if both sides fail to reach an agreement by August 1.

It’s only the latest escalation in a dramatic on-and-off trade war with the US’s closest trading partner.

However France welcomed Canada’s announcement, with the Elysee Palace highlighting that President Emmanuel Macron had discussed the issue with Carney and looks forward to “working together.”

“We will continue our efforts to encourage others to join this momentum in the run-up to the General Assembly in September,” the Elysee added in a statement.

In his announcement, Carney added that the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas assured him that his administration will hold long-delayed elections in 2026 in which Hamas will “play no part.”

“(Abbas) has also committed to not militarizing the state of Palestine,” Carney added.

It comes at a time of renewed international attention on the war in Gaza, especially the ongoing hunger crisis caused by Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid.

“Canada will always steadfastly support Israel’s existence as an independent state in the Middle East, living in peace and security,” Carney said. “Any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a viable and stable Palestinian state and one that recognizes Israel’s inalienable right to security.”

Carney’s announcement came after the Canadian leader spoke to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about Gaza on Tuesday, a fact Carney mentioned on Wednesday.

During their call, the two politicians discussed “the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza, as well as the United Kingdom’s statement on the recognition of a Palestinian state,” according to a readout from Carney’s office.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry quickly “rejected” Canada’s decision in a post on X, calling it a “reward to Hamas.”

“The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,” the Ministry stated.

“Let us be clear: Israel will not bow to the distorted campaign of international pressure against it,” Israel’s Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed said in an X post from the embassy. “We will not sacrifice our very existence by permitting the imposition of a jihadist state on our ancestral homeland that seeks our annihilation.”

Both Israel and the US previously criticized the move by France and the UK, saying it rewards Hamas. Last month, Canada joined the UK, Norway, New Zealand and Australia in sanctioning two far-right ministers of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution which is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperiled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion,” a joint statement from the five countries said.

At the time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the sanctions as unhelpful, saying they “do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.”

The latest declaration about recognizing Palestinian statehood have come as the hunger crisis in Gaza and perils in accessing aid continue to plague the enclave. On Wednesday the Israeli military said its troops fired warning shots in northern Gaza following reports of dozens of aid-seekers killed in the area.

The IDF said it was not aware of any casualties and that the details surrounding the incident are being examined, while Yousef Abu al-Rish, undersecretary of the Gaza Ministry of Health, told CNN at least 60 people were killed and about 600 others were injured in northern Gaza after Israeli forces fired near an aid site on.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September if the West Bank’s governing body agrees to make certain commitments.

The prime minister said the Palestinian Authority must hold an election in 2026 and commit to other democratic reforms.

“Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism, and honouring their innate desire for the peaceful co-existence of Israeli and Palestinian states as the only roadmap for a secure and prosperous future,” Carney said during a news conference on Wednesday.

He said Canada would formally recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly.

Carney’s announcement came after he spoke to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier Wednesday. 

Mona Abuamara, the former chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada, told CBC’s Power & Politics that she believes the commitments Carney set out are achievable.

“The Palestinian people have been living hell for two years. They know what they want. They need the opportunity to actually build their own state,” she told guest host David Common.

The Palestinian Authority currently controls parts of the West Bank through the Fatah party. Hamas governs in Gaza. Neither territory has held an election since 2006.

Carney said Hamas can have no role in the election he is proposing. He also reiterated that Hamas needs to release the remaining Israeli hostages and said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized.

The announcement follows similar commitments from other allied countries in the past week.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday the U.K. will also recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, allows the UN to bring in aid and takes other steps toward long-term peace. 

France announced a similar plan last week, but without conditions. Ireland, Norway and Spain have all recognized Palestine within the last year.

Carney said he has spoken to both Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in recent days.

“In our judgment, and the judgment of others, the prospect of a Palestinian state is literally receding before our eyes,” the prime minister said.

“Working with others to support the possibility of a Palestinian state establishes that [prospect].”

Canadian governments previously said they would acknowledge a Palestinian state only after a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and Palestinian leadership. Carney said that approach was “no longer tenable.”

Carney said the ongoing threat of Hamas, the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and “the ongoing failure by the Israeli government to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” spurred Canada to make this move now.

Israel rejects Canada’s plans

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said its government “rejects” Carney’s move.

“The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,” the statement said.

Iddo Moed, the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, told Power & Politics that Canada’s decision would “embolden” Hamas.

“Hamas is very much aware of what is going on right now and I think they will be celebrating this very message,” Moed said.

Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), said in a news statement on Wednesday that Carney’s decision is “predicated on misplaced faith in vague commitments” by Abbas.

“Extending recognition absent real change on the ground is a recipe for another failed Palestinian pseudo-state controlled by terrorists,” Shack said.

More than 100 advocacy groups have been warning of hunger spreading in Gaza as ceasefire negotiations stall.

Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, denies it is responsible for food shortages.

Carney was asked how likely it is that elections could be held given the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the heightened tensions in the region overall.

“Much has to happen in order for a democratic viable state [to be] established in Palestine. We fully recognize that,” Carney said.

“We’re committed to help work as part of that process, but I’m not in any way [or] shape minimizing the scale of that task.”

Carney was joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who announced $10 million “to accelerate reform and capacity-building for the Palestinian Authority” earlier this week.

Anand’s announcement was made at a major UN conference — convened by France and Saudi Arabia — to find ways to preserve the two-state solution.

Conservatives denounce decision

The Conservative Party said in a statement that it supports a two-state solution, but also said Carney’s decision is a “reward” for Hamas.

“A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood, without peace negotiations or a renunciation of violence, destroys the path to a lasting, two-state solution. Worse, it legitimizes terrorism by handing political rewards to a group that rules Gaza through fear, oppression and brutality,” the statement said.

NDP MP Heather McPherson said she welcomed Carney’s decision but said it should have been made sooner. She also called on Canada to do more to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“It should not have taken the Liberals this long to make this decision — and it should not take until September to implement it,” McPherson wrote in a statement.

“The Liberals should recognize the state of Palestine today — while also taking the political action necessary to end Canada’s complicity in this genocide.”

In the past week, a number of Liberal MPs have called on Canada to follow France’s lead.

Toronto MP Salma Zahid and Montreal-area MP Sameer Zuberi said in social media posts that Canada must join France in announcing its recognition of a state for the Palestinian people.

Fares Al Soud, who represents the Toronto-area riding of Mississauga Centre, said on social media that justice for the Palestinian people “demands recognition.”

Last fall, dozens of MPs from the Liberals, NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party joined an international call for the recognition a Palestinian state.

France and 14 other countries have co-signed a declaration that suggests a wave of future recognitions of an independent Palestinian state, as Canadian prime minister Mark Carney announced that his country planned to formally recognise Palestine during the upcoming UN general assembly in September.

Canada’s plans to recognise Palestine follow similar plans announced by France and the UK to formally recognise Palestine, while New Zealand and Australia were also signatories to a declaration that indicates they could follow suit in the coming months.

The New York Call, which was published by the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, on Wednesday, said that signatories “have already recognised, have expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognise the State of Palestine”.

The signatories include Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal and San Marino, each of which has not yet recognised an independent Palestinian state. They also include Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Slovenia and Spain, which have. Emmanuel Macron last week said that France would recognise Palestinian statehood in the near future.

The statement, which was published before the conclusion of a three-day UN conference set on reviving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, also said the states would “reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognised borders”.

It stressed the “importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority”.

On Wednesday evening, prime minister Mark Carney said Canada would recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN general assembly in September if certain conditions were met. The announcement came after Carney held a virtual cabinet meeting on the Middle East on Wednesday.

Carney said that Canada would recognise Palestine if the Palestinian Authority, the body that governs the occupied West Bank, would hold an election in 2026 in which Hamas could play no part and agree to other democratic reforms.

Carney called on Hamas to release all hostages held by the militant group, disarm, and play no role in the future governance of Palestine.

The remarks come amid growing pressure on Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023 in response to a Hamas raid that led to the deaths of 1,200 people, mainly Israelis, and the taking of more than 250 prisoners. More than 60,000 people have died in Gaza in the ensuing conflict, according to the Hamas-led health ministry in Gaza.

Keir Starmer on Tuesday said that the United Kingdom would recognise the state of in September “unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution”.

Donald Trump had initially said he didn’t “mind [Starmer] taking a position. I’m looking for getting people fed right now.”

But later he condemned the decision to recognise a Palestinian state, saying onboard Air Force One that “you could make the case that you’re rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don’t think they should be rewarded. So I’m not in that camp, to be honest … because if you do that you are really rewarding Hamas. And I’m not about to do that.”

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said this week that he wanted to time a recognition of Palestinian statehood to help deliver a breakthrough in negotiations.

“What we’re looking at is the circumstances where recognition will advance the objective of the creation of two states,” Albanese said on Wednesday.

“My entire political life, I’ve said I support two states, the right of Israel to exist within secure borders and the right of Palestinians to have their legitimate aspirations for their own state realised. That’s my objective.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Damon, condemned the declaration.

“While our hostages are languishing in Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza, these countries choose to engage in hollow statements instead of investing their efforts in their release,” said Damon. “This is hypocrisy and a waste of time that legitimises terrorism and distances any chance of regional progress. Those who truly want to make progress should start with an unequivocal demand for the immediate return of all the hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.”

Donald Trump has doubled down on his backing for Israel after having appeared to give a green light to the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, to recognize a Palestinian state.

Amid signs of mounting opposition among his Maga base to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, Trump criticized Starmer’s plan to grant recognition as “rewarding Hamas” even after having not taken issue with it when the pair met in Scotland this week.

Talking to journalists onboard Air Force One on his return to Washington, Trump said the US was “not in that camp”, referring to Starmer’s pledge, which followed a similar declaration by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, days earlier that France would formally recognize Palestinian statehood.

“We never did discuss it,” Trump said, in reference to Starmer’s announcement. He added: “You’re rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don’t think they should be rewarded.”

His comments were in line with the US state department, whose spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, called the recognition decision “a slap in the face” to victims of Hamas’s deadly 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the current war.

But they contrasted with his restrained stance when he and Starmer met at Turnberry in Scotland on Monday, after the UK prime minister said Britain would give recognition by September unless Israel met certain conditions, including allowing for a ceasefire in Gaza and allowing UN food aid to enter the territory to feed its population.

“I’m not going to take a position, I don’t mind him taking a position,” Trump told reporters when asked if he objected to Starmer’s move.

The US president’s response to Starmer seemed markedly softer than his riposte after Macron’s statehood announcement last week, which angered Israel and its supporters.

“What he says doesn’t matter,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight.”

The initial softer public posture toward Starmer came as Trump publicly contradicted Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, over conditions in Gaza, which numerous international aid agencies have described as famine.

Netanyahu had said that, in contrast to the aid group assessments and searing images of hungry children, no one was starving in Gaza.

Asked if he agreed, Trump said: “Based on television, I would say ‘not particularly’, because those children look pretty hungry to me. There’s real starvation, you can’t fake that.”

Some of Trump’s most prominent supporters have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of Israel’s conduct, amid polling evidence that Americans generally are losing sympathy for a country that has traditionally been viewed as one of the US’s closest allies.

Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser and still one of his leading cheerleaders with his War Room podcast, told Politico that the president’s condemnation of the food situation in Gaza would hasten Israel’s loss of support among his base.

“It seems that for the under-30-year-old Maga base, Israel has almost no support, and Netanyahu’s attempt to save himself politically by dragging America in deeper to another Middle East war has turned off a large swath of older Maga diehards,” Bannon said. “Now President Trump’s public repudiation of one of the central tenets of [Netanyahu’s] Gaza strategy – ‘starving’ Palestinians – will only hasten a collapse of support.”

Another Trump supporter, the far-right Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, became the latest – and perhaps most surprising – public figure to label Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide”.

“It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,” she posted on X.

The comments came as a new Gallup poll showed support among Americans for Israel’s actions in Gaza down to 32%, the lowest since the organization began asking the question in November 2023 – a month after the murderous Hamas raid that killed almost 1,200 mostly Israeli civilians and led to another 250 to be taken hostage.

Israel’s military response has led to about 60,000 Palestinians being killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.

While Gallup’s poll showed support for Israel’s offensive still high, at 71%, among Republicans, Thom Tillis, a GOP senator for North Carolina who plans to step down at the next election, said Gaza could be a political problem for Trump, the Hill reported.

“I think that the American people at the end of the day are a kind people. They don’t like seeing suffering, nor do I think the president does,” Tillis said. “If you see starvation, you try to fix it.”

Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Fox News that Trump’s backing for Netanyahu remained unshaken. “Let me assure you that there is no break between the prime minister of Israel and the president,” he told Fox News. “Their relationship, I think, [is] stronger than it’s ever been, and I think the relationship between the US and Israel is as strong as it’s ever been.”

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to visit Israel on Thursday, where he will meet with officials “to discuss next steps in addressing the situation in Gaza”, a US official told AFP.

The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in the Middle East to fund its destabilizing activities.  Today, the United States is taking action to stem the flow of revenue that the regime uses to support terrorism abroad, as well as to oppress its own people.  The Department of State is imposing sanctions on 20 entities engaged in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, or petrochemical trade and is identifying 10 vessels as blocked property. 

All targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran.

Continued Targeting of Iran’s Shadow Fleet

The Department of State is designating five vessel management companies and a petroleum wholesale company for their involvement in the transport and purchase of Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products.  Iran’s oil and petrochemical exports are enabled by a network of such illicit shipping facilitators in multiple jurisdictions who, through obfuscation and deception, load and transport Iranian oil and petrochemicals for sale to buyers in third countries.  The vessels managed by these companies have moved millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products and play a key role in the Iranian export supply chain.  They have also regularly engaged in dark activity and other deceptive shipping practices, endangering other vessels and trade flows.

ETIHAD ENGINEERING AND MARINE SERVICES FZC (ETIHAD) engaged in a significant transaction for the transportation of Iranian petroleum products when a vessel it is the commercial manager of, SEATURBO (IMO 9204764), loaded Iranian reformate in Iran in September 2022.  Additionally, ETIHAD is also the commercial manager of the following seven tankers, which have collectively transported Iranian petroleum product at least a dozen times since May 2023. 

• TRUGEN (IMO: 9200861) is a Comoros flagged, oil products tanker
• SEABASS (IMO: 9251640) is a Comoros flagged, oil products tanker
• SEAHAKER (IMO: 9255488) is a Comoros flagged, oil products tanker
• ZEAL (IMO: 9486895) is a Gabon flagged, oil products tanker
• MOLLY (IMO): 9531375) is a Comoros flagged, chemical/oil products tanker
• SOFIA (IMO: 9531387) is a Comoros flagged, oil products tanker
• COURAGE 7 (IMO: 9553957) is a Gabon flagged, asphalt/bitumen tanker

ETIHAD is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran. 

SEATURBO, TRUGEN, SEABASS, SEAHAKER, ZEAL, MOLLY, SOFIA, and COURAGE 7 are being identified as property in which ETIHAD has an interest.  

FARADANESH TECHNICAL INSPECTION SERVICES COMPANY (FIS) engaged in a significant transaction for the transportation of Iranian petroleum products when it acted as the cargo surveyor for the loading of Iranian reformate in Iran in September 2022, certifying that the cargo was loaded onto a tanker for export.  FIS is an Iran-based cargo inspection and surveyor company that operates in multiple Iranian ports.  The main commodities it inspects include oil and oil derivatives, chemical and petrochemical products, and gas and natural gas.  It has also provided services to U.S.-designated Iranian energy companies like U.S.-designated IRAN PETROCHEMICAL COMMERCIAL COMPANY.   

FIS is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran.  

ARZO ALTEJARA FOR GOODS WHOLESALERS CO L.L.C (ARZO), a company based in the United Arab Emirates, knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase of petroleum products from Iran between late April and early May 2024, when it purchased approximately 10,000 metric tons of fuel oil from the U.S.-designated NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL COMPANY.

ARZO is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran. 

ENSA SHIP MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED (ENSA) has been the commercial manager of TIFANI (IMO 9273337) since December of 2024.  TIFANI has loaded Iranian petroleum two times during ENSA’s tenure as the commercial manager of TIFANI.  Both of these shipments were loaded in ship-to-ship (STS) transfers with U.S.-designated Iranian flagged tankers in the Singapore EOPL while conducting dark activity. 

ENSA is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran.  TIFANI is being identified as property in which ENSA has an interest.

PEACE WORTH SHIPPING CO., LIMITED (PEACE WORTH) is the China-registered commercial manager of a Panama-flagged chemical/oil products tanker, named TONDA SOURCE (IMO: 9127667).  During PEACE WORTH’s tenure as the commercial manager of TONDA SOURCE, the vessel loaded Iranian-origin methanol in October 2022 and discharged its cargo in China.  TONDA SOURCE has also conducted multiple loadings of Iranian-origin petrochemical products from 2022 to 2024.  Nearly all of these loadings occurred while the vessel conducted dark activity.

PEACE WORTH is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  TONDA SOURCE is being identified as property in which PEACE WORTH has an interest. 

AVANI LINES INC (AVANI) is the registered owner and commercial manager of a vessel that conducted at least six voyages for the transport of Iranian-origin crude oil.  Several of these Iranian crude oil cargos were loaded through ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned tankers, including National Iranian Tanker Company tankers, and all cargos were discharged in China. 

AVANI is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran. 

Crude oil and petroleum products terminal

Today’s action also includes the designation of a fourth China-based crude oil and petroleum products terminal that has a demonstrated pattern of accepting Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, including from U.S. designated tankers.  This behavior continues to enable Iran’s ability to fund its nuclear ambitions, support terrorist groups, and enable disruption of the flow of trade and freedom of navigation in waterways that are crucial to global prosperity and economic growth.  The United States will continue to take action against the network of terminal operators, port agents, shippers, and service providers involved in the transport and acquisition of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products.

ZHOUSHAN JINRUN PETROLEUM TRANSFER CO., LTD. (ZHOUSHAN JINRUN) is a China-based operator of a crude oil terminal located within the greater Zhoushan port area, China.  On April 17, 2025, ZHOUSHAN JINRUN facilitated the port call and discharge of U.S.-designated VIOLA (IMO: 9254915), which was designated on March 20, 2025.  ZHOUSHAN JINRUN also facilitated the port call and discharge of the U.S.-designated tanker RANI (IMO: 9250907), and has received at least six shipments of Iranian-origin crude oil.

ZHOUSHAN JINRUN is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran.

Targeting Iran’s Petrochemical Trade

This action also includes the designation of thirteen entities across multiple jurisdictions, which have engaged in the transshipment, sale, and purchase of Iranian-origin petrochemicals.  Although less significant in value than Iran’s crude oil exports, Iran’s petrochemical industry and exports are a critical sector of the Iranian economy and have grown in recent years to generate billions of dollars in illicit funds for Iran’s destabilizing activities.  Similar to the regime’s illicit oil exports, Iranian petrochemical products are frequently transshipped through intermediaries in third countries in attempts to obfuscate their origin before the products reach their ultimate buyers.  Today’s action targets those intermediaries, as well as the buyers of Iranian petrochemical products.

FIVA PLASTIK ANONIM SIRKETI (FIVA PLASTIK) is a Türkiye-based petrochemical trading company that has imported and purchased Iranian-origin petrochemical products valued at over USD 6.8M from multiple companies, including shipments of Iranian-origin petrochemical products from TRIOLIN TRADE FZCO, between January and September 2024.  FIVA PLASTIK has imported petrochemical products manufactured from numerous Iran-based, U.S.-designated petrochemical companies, including JAM PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY, MARUN PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY, and SHAZAND PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY.               

FIVA PLASTIK is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

TRIOLIN TRADE FZCO is a United Arab Emirates-based company that has exported and sold over USD 800K worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products, including polyethylene, to FIVA PLASTIK. 

TRIOLIN TRADE FZCO is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  

TANAIS WAY GENERAL TRADING L.L.C. (TANAIS TRADING) is a United Arab Emirates-based company that has exported shipments of Iranian-origin polyethylene valued at over USD 1.7M to multiple companies, including India-based KANCHAN POLYMERS, between February and July 2024.

TANAIS TRADING is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  

KANCHAN POLYMERS is an India-based company that has imported and purchased over USD 1.3M worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products, including polyethylene, from TANAIS TRADING. 

KANCHAN POLYMERS is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  

ALCHEMICAL SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED (ALCHEMICAL SOLUTIONS) is an India-based petrochemical trading company that has imported and purchased Iranian-origin petrochemical products valued at over USD 84M from multiple companies between January and December 2024. 

ALCHEMICAL SOLUTIONS is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  

ELM KIMYA ITHALAT IHRACAT SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI (ELM KIMYA) is a Türkiye-based petrochemical trading company that has imported Iranian-origin petrochemical products valued at over USD 3M from multiple companies, between January and September 2024.

ELM KIMYA is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  

LAVINYA PLAST KIMYEVI MADDELER VE PETROL URUNLERI NAKLIYE SANAYI IC VE DIS TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI (LAVINYA PLAST) is a Türkiye-based petrochemical trading company that has imported and purchased Iranian-origin petrochemical products valued at over USD 5M from multiple companies between January and August 2024, including from PT. ORIENTAL. 

LAVINYA PLAST is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.  

ORIENTAL COMMERCE GARDEN (PT. ORIENTAL) is an Indonesia-based company that has exported and sold over USD 3.4M worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products, including polyethylene, to LAVINYA PLAST. 

ORIENTAL is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

RAMNIKLAL S GOSALIA AND COMPANY (RAMNIKLAL) is an India-based petrochemical company that imported and purchased Iranian-origin petrochemical products valued at over USD 22M, including methanol and toluene, from multiple companies between January 2024 and January 2025.

RAMNIKLAL is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

JUPITER DYE CHEM PRIVATE LIMITED (JUPITER DYE CHEM) is an India-based petrochemical trading company that has imported and purchased Iranian-origin petrochemical products, including toluene, valued at over USD 49M from multiple companies between January 2024 and January 2025

JUPITER DYE CHEM is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS LIMITED (GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL) is an India-based company that has imported and purchased Iranian-origin petrochemical products, including methanol, valued at over USD 51M from multiple companies, between July 2024 and January 2025. 

GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

PERSISTENT PETROCHEM PRIVATE LIMITED is an India-based company that has imported approximately USD 14 million worth of shipments containing Iranian-origin petrochemicals, such as methanol, from multiple companies, including from BAB AL BARSHA, with shipping dates between October 2024 and December 2024.

PERSISTENT is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

BAB AL BARSHA TRADING L.L.C (BAB AL BARSHA) is a United Arab Emirates-based commodities trading company that has exported shipments containing Iranian-origin petrochemicals to PERSISTENT valued at approximately USD 6.4M, with shipping dates between January 2024 and February 2025.

BAB AL BARSHA is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran. 

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS 

As a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, and in accordance with E.O. 13846, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).  Additionally, all entities and individuals that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. 

All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.  These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. 

The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law.  The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. 

Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be sent to: OFAC.Reconsideration@treasury.gov.  Petitioners may also refer to the Department of State’s Delisting Guidance page.

Reuters